Boston University

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Carl Franzblau

Randall L Knoll

John T Capecchi

Barbara A Faris

Linda Civerchia-Perez

Donald F Gibbons

Howard M Leibowitz

Vickery Trinkaus-Randall

William B Isaacson

Manley R Johnston

Jean D Sipe

Wayne A Gonnerman

Greta Knapschaefer

Phillip J Stone

James E Aysta

Julianne Bryan-Rhadfi

The present invention provides ligand/anti-ligand assays for detecting and/or measuring adherent proteins, including lipophilic serum or plasma proteins, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and apolipoprotein Al (apoAl); cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha; pentraxins, such as CRP; and globular serum or plasma proteins such as albumin.

Ligand/anti-ligand assays for adherent proteins

A method of growing anchorage-dependent cells is disclosed in which a substrate includes a hydrogel is employed. The hydrogel is formed from an aqueous solution gelled with a crosslinked polymer of a hydrophilic monomer and includes a macromolecule capable of supporting cell growth.

Hydrogels capable of supporting cell growth

A corneal prosthesis including an optical element having an optically transparent central portion and an anterior surface capable of supporting a layer of epithelial cells, the optical element being made of optical material having water content between 50% and 90% and a tensile strength greater than 20 kg/cm.sup.2, and a porous outer skirt secured to the periphery of said element, said skirt being sufficiently porous to permit cell ingrowth and tissue attachment. Also disclosed are methods of making, seeding and using corneal implants having epithelial layers thereon and porous implant material of a coherent mass of randomly oriented fibers having an interconnected network of pores.

Surgical method for implanting a corneal implant

A method for determining the quantity of a connective tissue or muscle tissue breakdown product in a body fluid from an animal includes steps of providing a standard comprising the breakdown product having a label, the standard having a known specific activity, combining the standard and a sample of the body fluid, removing from the combined standard and sample a purified breakdown product fraction containing labelled breakdown product from the standard together with breakdown product from the sample, and measuring the specific radioactivity of the fraction as a measure of the quantity of the breakdown product in the sample. Also, methods for assessing, in a body fluid from an animal, the condition of a selected connective tissue or a muscle tissue in an animal, and for assessing a disease process that includes destruction of a specified connective tissue component or muscle tissue, and for assessing the efficacy of a therapy for treatment of such a disease process, include the steps of the method for determining the quantity of a tissue breakdown product.

Measuring tissue breakdown products in body fluids

The present invention provides ligand/anti-ligand assays for detecting and/or measuring adherent proteins, including lipophilic serum or plasma proteins, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1); cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha; pentraxins, such as CRP; and globular serum or plasma proteins such as albumin.

A method for determining a connective tissue breakdown product in a body fluid from an animal includes steps of providing a standard comprising the breakdown product having a radioactive label, the standard having a known specific radioactivity, combining the standard and a sample of the body fluid, removing from the combined standard and sample a purified breakdown product fraction containing labelled breakdown product from the standard together with breakdown product from the sample, and measuring the specific radioactivity of the fraction as a measure of the quantity of the breakdown product in the sample. Also, methods for assessing a condition of a selected connective tissue in an animal in vivo, and for assessing in vivo a disease process that includes destruction of a specified connective tissue component, and for assessing in vivo the efficacy of a therapy for treatment of such a disease process, include the steps of the method for determining a connective tissue breakdown product.

Measuring connective tissue breakdown products in body fluids

Corneal implants and manufacture and use thereof

A method of growing anchorage-dependent cells is disclosed in which a substrate comprising a hydrogel is employed. The hydrogel is formed from an aqueous solution gelled with a crosslinked polymer of a hydrophilic monomer and includes a macromolecule capable of supporting cell growth.

A holding device for seeding cells on a surface of a prosthesis including chamber means for partially defining a first chamber with the first surface, and sealing means for providing a seal between the chamber means and the prosthesis so as to isolate the seeding surface from another portion of the prosthesis.

Growing community of inventors

Newton, MA, United States of America

Carl Franzblau